The Endless Ending of Calvin and Hobbes

Many successful comic strips continue indefinitely. But Bill Watterson’s final #CalvinAndHobbes comic strip appeared in newspapers on December 31st, 1995, concluding a 10-year run. Some fans & critics have struggled to let go. Others argue the strip’s ending is perfectly endless. 1/12

There are many reasons popular comic strips rarely end succinctly. First, newspapers, publishing syndicates, and cartoonists generally like making money, so cancelling a popular strip rarely makes financial sense. Second, cartoonists often don’t own the rights to their own creations. 2/12

In the original version of Watterson’s contract with his publishing syndicate, the syndicate would have had the right to continue the strip under the same name with a different artist. Watterson fought several difficult legal battles to rewrite his contract to maintain creative control. 3/12

The uniqueness of Watterson’s situation underscores the emotional impact of his decision to definitively retire “Calvin and Hobbes.” Simply put: readers of popular newspaper comics were not used to popular strips coming to an end. As a result, many felt confused, unfulfilled, even “cheated.” 4/12

Watterson’s reclusive persona contributed to the frustration of some fans. For decades, Watterson has generally declined media interviews and does not answer or receive fan mail. This has led to various attempts to “find” Watterson or convince him to be interviewed. 5/12

Initially, Watterson’s only direct statement on ending the strip was a brief letter published a month before its conclusion. This was the extent of his explanation: “My interests have shifted… and I believe I’ve done what I can do within the constraints of daily deadlines and small panels.” 6/12

As Michael Hingston observes, Watterson’s simple farewell letter wasn’t always received warmly: “To its fans, Calvin and Hobbes was like a masterpiece. Yet Watterson’s public statements suggested he saw it as nothing more than an interesting experiment, one that was easily discarded.” 7/12

Over the years, various individual artists and artist/fan collectives have attempted to continue or speculate on the future of Calvin and Hobbes. One popular version of the future involves Calvin growing up and marrying Susie and passing Hobbes on to their daughter. 8/10

Some of these attempts at continuation are more optimistic than others. For instance, Martine Leavitt’s award-winning 2015 YA novel “Calvin” features a 17-year-old title protagonist haunted (and perhaps protected) by a menacing version of his childhood toy, evoking experiences of schizophrenia. 9/10

Contrasting these often-melancholy continuations and the emotional bereavement of some fans, Watterson’s final “Calvin and Hobbes” strip is demonstrably joyful. In one reading, the title characters’ excitement to explore the fresh snow evokes Watterson’s eagerness to explore other pursuits. 10/12

But the final strip isn’t an exercise in ego. It also celebrates the timelessness & boundless creativity of its title characters, who are bigger than the confines of their strip. Calvin and Hobbes the comic strip may have ended. But Calvin and Hobbes the characters are eager to keep exploring. 11/12

Childhood, like any stage of life, both is and isn’t finite. Time passes, but the past is kept alive by our memories and its indelible influence upon whoever we are and might become. So too with Calvin and Hobbes, whose adventures ended but never end, because there’s always more to explore. 12/12